Bonding and Discoveries

The sun was almost at its peak before Johanna emerged from the bedroom, her hair a mess over her eyes and her phone barely clutched in one hand, being completely ignored. She'd managed to pull on the loose, bell-bottomed flannels she'd brought for pajamas, but completely forgotten her top...and apparently couldn't be bothered to look for it. Not that it mattered. The only other occupants in the cabin had seen quite a bit more than just her breasts already.

The cabin was quiet. She could clearly hear a bird outside the window someone had opened to let the spring breeze blow through the living room...and sort of wished it would shut up. "Coffee's still hot," someone said from the general direction of the couch, but instead of moving in the direction of the kitchen the Dalmatian just flopped down in one of the padded chairs by the coffee table, covering her face with one hand. It occurred to her after a minute that the voice she'd heard did not belong to Dane...and that maybe she was getting a bit spoiled on him bringing her a cup on mornings she slept in. However, when she finally pulled her hair back out of her face to take stock of the world, she did in fact find a steaming cup sitting in front of her on the table...and Ares back on the couch, idly thumbing through an electronics magazine he must have brought with him.

The Doberman was already dressed in the same khaki shorts he'd worn the previous day, below a fresh tee-shirt advertising his favorite rock band. He'd added a couple of studded bracelets to his wrists to complete the rocker look, and she could swear she smelled sunshine and pollen on him. Her new boyfriend was giving her dubious looks over the top of the magazine. "Boy they weren't kidding when they said you wake hard."

The Dalmatian just nodded, reaching for the mug in front of her with a mumbled, "Th'nks."

Ares also nodded, and went back to his magazine. "Those two will probably be a little longer getting back. We went for a walk this morning, but your brother kept worrying about you getting up before we got back. Says you don't feel safe when you're alone, especially in the morning."

Another nod from Johanna, as she swallowed a good mouthful of coffee. "Us'lly jus' lock m'self in m'room," she managed to string together. Rather than "room", she probably should have said "office", and added that she distracted herself with work and research...but the gist of the reason was still the same.

The Doberman arched a brow, wondering how alert she really was. On the one hand she seemed groggy to the point of disoriented...on the other, that was a pretty coherent sentence, is not well enunciated. "Right. Anyway, Gemi being Gemi, it started getting late and I volunteered to come back and check on you. Last I saw, she was dragging him into the bushes like a rabbit in season." He put the magazine down, leaning forward on his seat and peering at her hard. "...Was last night too much, or is it always like this?"

She peeked one eye open, taking in his look of concern, and swallowed another big mouthful of coffee. Then she straightened her back and finished combing the hair out of her face with her fingers. "Mostly always," she made herself form all the letters in the words, "Before my coffee." Which she immediately returned to drinking. By the time the cup was done, her demeanor was rather more alert, and she'd even checked the time and begun opening tabs on her phone. "Thanks, by the way. For checking on me. I like to think I don't freak out, but I would have wondered where everyone was."

"No problem," Ares grunted, idly pulling the little pink muzzle out of the box on the coffee table, where Johanna had left her gift the night before. "So you like this kind of stuff?"

The Dalmatian shrugged. "I've never tried it before. We discovered during our little game on Dane's birthday that I seem to enjoy pressure applied to my muzzle and face, but none of us has expressed a particular interest in bondage."

Ares was twirling the little cone of leather around on one finger, looking at her thoughtfully. "...Want to try it?" he asked, extending the pink cone to her. "Something to help you relax now that you're up? You'll have to show me how you like it."

Another shrug. "Oh--" Sure. She was about to say "sure". But just as the syllable was on her tongue, the image flashed through her mind: her mouth strapped shut, unable to scream, his thick, strong arms wrapped around her arms...across her neck...his hand clamped on her nose, or her throat...smothering her...choking her...crushing her...

Ares waved a hand in front of her eyes, alerting her to the fact that she was staring without answering. "Fall back asleep?"

"...Oh," she repeated, more quietly, "I...don't...don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think anyone but Dane can put that on me right now," she answered slowly, but honestly, not entirely sure where that moment of panic had come from but none-too-keen to experience it again.

The Doberman dipped one brow, perplexed, then shrugged and unbuckled and unthreaded one of the little leather straps used to close the cuff, offering it to her between his fingers. "How about this, then..."

A few short minutes later Johanna was pacing around the living room with her phone actually to her ear for a change. "Hi, Gemi," she said as her call was picked up, "Yes, everything is okay, I was just wondering how much you know about your brother's...'preferences'. ... Uh-huh. So you knew...? ... Mmhmm ... Mmhmm ... No, no, I'm fine. He's fine. He's actually gagged and hog-tied in the floor right now...and couldn't be happier?" She cast a sideways glance at the Doberman sitting on his knees by the coffee table, hands and feet cuffed behind his back and the blindfold from Gemi's Box-o'-Kinks over his eyes. The pink strap of leather was cinched down around his muzzle, keeping it clamped on a pair of her panties (clean ones). His tail was wagging in sporadic bursts, though he seemed to be trying to keep it still. "Anyway, don't rush back, but...I'd like to have some time with Dane when you get back, okay? ... Thank you. Bye."

With a sigh, Johanna rubbed her head, set her phone down on the coffee table, and sat on the couch near to Ares' head. After looking at him thoughtfully for another minute, she unbuckled the strap around his muzzle and took the folded cloth out of his mouth. He worked some saliva back around his tongue with a slight smirk. "Feeling better?"

The Dalmatian leaned down and pressed her lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss...which surprised him, needless to say. "What was that all about?"

"An apology," she answered flatly, "For a minute there, I mistrusted you. Badly. It's not--"

He cut in with a chuckle, "Girl, you don't gotta apologize for nothing," he said in a growly voice, "I know how I am. I am creepy as wuff. I am big, muscle-bound, rough around all the edges, and intimidating. Anyone with an ounce of sense would be wary of me, and you've got more than the other three of us combined, regarding anything but your brother."

She tilted her head at him, though he couldn't see the gesture, still under the blindfold. "What do you mean?"

Ares shrugged his shoulders. "No offense, but you seem to already know what you and he are doing isn't smart. Kind of dangerous, actually, and not something I ever would have expected from you. It's more on par with some nonsense I would try."

"I'd hardly call practicing bondage nonsense. It barely counts as odd these days," she remarked, noting that he seemed to have a pretty good idea how those restraints Gemini got her were supposed to fit, and how he was supposed to sit when she got them on him.

"Uh, actually, I've got about as much experience with this as you do," he jingled the chains behind his back, "I meant like wuffing the dog."

Johanna blinked in surprise and tilted her head again. Once more, she almost forgot he couldn't see her blank stare. "Have you wuffed the dog?"

"Well...more like let him wuff me, actually. Not sure how well he'd take being on the receiving end, no matter how well behaved he is," Ares admitted.

"...G.D.? The dog on the porch?" Johanna prompted again, still not quite believing her ears.

But Ares nodded. "He's about the gentlest thing you'll ever see. Worthless as a guard dog outside of his size...but turns out he's surprisingly good company on really lonely nights."

Johanna leaned back on the couch, looking at her new boyfriend very thoughtfully for a long moment. He waited patiently, too, despite the position that had to be getting uncomfortable by now. "Does Gemi know?"

"Probably," he laughed, "Just like I know most of what she does in the bedroom on nights she is at home. We just politely pretend to be clueless."

"Why would you tell me this?" Johanna asked at length, unable to shake the feeling it wasn't something he decided to toss into the conversation on a whim.

"Because in my experience, trust has to be earned, and that takes a lot of time," Ares tilted his head, "But every once in a while, for the right price, it can be bought pretty quickly. So you hand that little piece of blackmail to Dane when he gets back, and I bet he'll be a lot less antsy about whether or not I can keep my mouth shut about who bangs who around here."

"But Dane does trust you already," Johanna insisted.

"As an old friend," the Doberman countered, "As a lover? His bedroom manner tells me, not so much. Odds are pretty good he doesn't really swing that way. I don't blame him. I'm open to it, but speaking from experience: it's not actually my preference either. Heh...willing to bet he'll be gentler than the dog, though."

Leaning forward, Johanna lifted the blindfold off his head, so she could look him in the eyes again. "You really want to be part of this thing we're doing with your sister, don't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted, no lingering hint of pride or bravado in his voice, "Mostly because of her, probably." Shrugging his shoulders, he sat back as comfortably as he could with his hands fixed behind his back, and met Johanna's eyes unflinchingly. "Look, I meant what I said before. You're a girl, and a type of girl, I never would have turned down if a word had been said before this trip. But what prompted me to make a move was the feeling like Gemi's been...drifting off. Not calling that a bad thing, or saying anything against who she's moving on to. Not my place to say anything even if I did have a problem with them. It had to happen eventually...especially with as many boys as she's been going through," he rolled his eyes, "And I always figured I'd be fine when it inevitably did...but it didn't, so I never really knew until she hooked up with you two. Now it's almost like I'm the one she's dating, seeing her just once or twice a week. And she's changed the way she tells her stories about her dates."

Johanna tilted her head. "She tells you storied about her dates?"

Ares chuckled. "Yeah. I wouldn't say we were as close as you and Dane have obviously been, but we always got on well, so she never had a problem gushing or complaining." The Doberman smirked as he thought of a concern Johanna might be having. "And no, she always kept the details very PG. But I know her, and can read between the lines. Let's see...," he thought of a quick example, "That trip you guys took to the mall. According to her, you rode all the best rides in the park, though you couldn't go on the Spinstars, and she had a great time looking over clothes with you, even though all you bought was a jacket. Heh...which I take to mean she got you or Dane into one of the dressing rooms at some point, and maybe even flashed you on the rides."

Johanna just nodded. "We didn't get as far as the dressing rooms, but you've got the gist of things."

"See?" he winked, "Anyway...now she talks more about conversations you've had, where she wants to take you next, or hopes you think to take her...future stuff. Not like before. And it sounds pretty great, spending time and having fun with people you trust, who don't mind you being you even at your most _in_appropriate," he rolled his eyes again at the memory of the previous night, "And...yeah, I kind of miss her and kind of envy the place she's in." He looked into Johanna's eyes again, suddenly a lot less intimidating and a lot more warm. "I figure it's worth taking a risk, even a big one, to get in on that."

She smiled at him, just a little, and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Johanna suddenly had the feeling they were going to get along very well indeed. "Ares, I--"

They both looked over at the open window suddenly. The bird outside had long since stopped chirping, but there was a new sound, a sort of soft whine, coming through it...or more like from under it. "Oo! I can't take it anymore!" Gemini squealed, and they could hear her skittering out from below the window and all the way around the side of the building, setting G.D. to barking as she flung open the door and came careening across the room. "I LOVE YOU! You sappy--!"

"ARGH, WUFF! WUFF! WUFF!" Ares shouted as his sister hit in a flying tackle, sending them both rolling into the wall with his wrists and ankles still bound behind him.

They'd already landed hard before Gemini took stock of the situation and realized what she'd done...or almost done, thankfully. She immediately started unstrapping his limbs. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Eh...nothing broken, I think," he reassured her, flexing his elbows and rubbing his arms, "Except maybe my pride."

"How long have you two been back?" Johanna asked, sounding more curious than upset, as Dane stepped up by her side.

"Eh," Dane shrugged, patting her shoulder, "I don't know what kind of blackmail he thinks you need to give me, but I'm a little insulted he thinks that's what would make me feel better," the Dalmatian dipped a brow, causing Ares to wince slightly.

"That long, huh?" the Doberman sighed.

"It was sweet," Gemini kissed his cheek, "I didn't know you cared so much."

"I'd say it was a good talk that needed having," Dane agreed, offering them both a hand back to their feet. Then he turned back to his sister. "So...do we still need some time one-on-one? Or did that have to do with this trust issue?"

Johanna nodded and picked up the muzzle from the coffee table. "I definitely still need some one-on-one time with you, but for different reasons now. I think I'll be okay testing what I wanted to test out here. Will you put this on me?"

Dane arched a brow, but took the leather tube and seated himself on the end of the couch, where she could lean back against him. "Is that what this is about? Didn't feel quite the same when Ares did it?"

Johanna shook her head as she turned and leaned back against his chest. "I didn't let him. I couldn't. The thought terrified me, and I behaved very unfairly toward him because of it. Now I want to see..." She tapped the side of her muzzle and closed her mouth so he could slide the restraint on.

Her brother now looked rather less certain of this little "experiment". But he slid the leather over her nose and chin, pulling it down almost to her eyes, just far enough to be able to buckle the single strap that went behind her head. Gemi sat at the other end of the couch, watching carefully and rubbing Johanna's feet. Ares seated himself in the recliner, watching how Dane handled her, with the hopes of making her comfortable letting him do this another day.

"How's that?" the Dalmatian asked as he tightened down the straps around her nose, pulling the tube snug and applying just a little bit of pressure all the way around it.

Johanna ran her fingertips along the leather tying her mouth shut, touching it lightly, pressing a little in one spot and pulling a little at another, until everything felt smooth and the pressure was even. She took a deep inhale through her nose, exhaled the same way, and leaned back against him with another nod. The female Dalmatian then brought his hand up to the side of her face, cupping it under her chin and pulling back slightly. Taking the hint, Dane gripped around her muzzle lightly, rested her head against his shoulder, and pulled back just a little. She sighed happily, cupping her hands over her breasts and closing her eyes, basking in whatever sensation this created inside her that she found so soothing. After a moment she reached up with her left hand and snapped her fingers loudly. Dane took that as his cue, and let go of his grip.

Johanna sat up, nudged Gemi off the couch, then patted the end opposite Dane while staring at Ares, indicating he should sit. With a curious look, the male Doberman did as instructed, and was surprised when she turned and laid back against him as she had done with her brother. "You want me to...?"

His girlfriend nodded, pressing his hand to the side of her face. Imitating Dane, Ares took a careful but firm grip, slowly drawing her back against him until she patted his hand, indicating he should stop. Then she lay there for a moment, letting Gemini fondle her from the back of the couch where she'd moved, before sitting up and letting the female Doberman unbuckle her.

She took a deep breath through her mouth as soon as the binding leather slipped free of her nose. "It was Dane," she concluded, "He wasn't here, and I got scared. It seems I shouldn't try new things when he's not around."

Gemi, still leaning over the back of the couch, nuzzled her cheek. "So did you ever get...oh, this sounds terrible even in my head, but...'professionally looked at'?"

Johanna nodded. "She said I shouldn't do it often, or sustain it for more than a minute or two. Anything that puts stress on the seams of the skull should be approached with caution. But if I don't overdo it, it's probably nothing more than a sensory stimulus I find pleasing. Like a nervous tic, but with stress relief."

Her friend nodded, glad to hear it was something she could enjoy without worries about anything more serious...then scooted down to the end of the couch, putting both arms around her brother's neck. "Hey, honeypot, I know this is our anniversary weekend...but could we dedicate an hour or so to brother/sister bonding? I think mine's been feeling under-appreciated for a while now, and I'd like to fix that," she explained with a sly look at Area...who frowned in return, apparently not half as keen on making out with his sister as she was on making out with him. But he voiced no objections.

The female Dalmatian turned to lean against Dane, kissing his chest before reaching over and checking the time on her phone. "If your boyfriend is okay with it, I think that would be fine. Afterward, there is unfortunately some business I need to discuss with all of you, so be ready to be serious for a little while. Then we can finish the night with more fun for everyone."

"Oh, I can't wait," Gemi said softly into Ares' ear, making him quirk a dubious brow. Dane looked more concerned about the nature of this "business" that needed to interrupt their weekend, but trusted his sister to know what she was up to. So they agreed to group up back in the living room an hour later, as satisfied as they could manage and fully dressed, to discuss whatever Johanna had in mind. Gemi immediately began pulling her brother toward the bunk room. "She paid for the cabin, so she gets the big bed," the Doberman insisted...which seemed perfectly fair to her brother, who had to wonder why she seemed to think he was arguing.

Dane chuckled as they disappeared into the other room, turning his head down to kiss Johanna softly on the lips and let one hand drift down to softly grip her breast. "I suppose we could always just stay out here," he suggested softly, "Are you feeling better?"

She nodded silently, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "It surprised me. I felt bad for Ares. He was just being friendly, and making an effort to share something personal with me, and for a moment all I could see him as was a threat. I'm glad he actually likes restraints."

"He does?" her brother quirked a brow, "Well, you learn something new every day, huh?"

"I try," came her too-sincere answer. Looking over at the cuffs that had been discarded by the wall, she admitted, "I'd like to try them sometime, for his sake. Will you put them on me later? Maybe if I get used to them with you, it won't cause me to react so anxiously with him."

He pulled her up to where he could look her in the eyes, and give her a full, warm kiss on the lips. "I'll do anything you're comfortable with, or to make you comfortable. I love you, Johanna."

"Thank you," she sighed, returning the kiss passionately and clinging to his shirt, "I love you, too." They lay there for a moment more before she pushed herself to her feet and offered him her hand. "Come on. Help me find my top and lose my bottoms before we have to talk business. I want to taste you...and whatever traces of Gemini you're still carrying," she added, having no illusions about what had kept them so long behind Ares. Her brother followed happily...

Roughly an hour later, they all emerged reluctantly from their respective cuddle and kiss sessions, still rosy-cheeked and glassy-eyed, but all dressed in actual clothes and ready to be diligent. "So what's this 'business' about?" Ares was the first to ask, claiming what had become his habitual chair. "You guys do this sort of thing a lot on your getaways?"

"Nope," Gemini patted his head as she moved passed him to sit on the end of the couch nearest him, "First time she's called an all-hands meeting, actually. I'm curious!" As usual, nothing seemed to put much of a damper on the bouncy Doberman's mood. Dane seated himself beside her, near the center of the couch, expecting Johanna to take the other end...but the female Dalmatian instead took the other chair in the room, sitting with a straight posture and legs crossed as she rested her phone on her knees, tapping it near constantly.

"Now that we are all official, in one way or another, the living arrangement needs to be addressed," she announced formally, causing the other three to blink in surprise and perk their ears, "Gemini is already at our place more than her own. I expect to be seeing a lot more of Ares in the coming days. And while we might be content to couple-up in separate rooms for a while, I am dubious of our ability to resist the desire to cuddle en-mass...especially given last night's experience, which I at least found pleasant."

The remark made Gemini giggle. Dane had managed (barely) to convince them to forgo anymore sexual exploits when they bedded down, and everyone had contented themselves with several long rounds of good-night kisses and caresses, before the girls settled in nested between the boys. Morning had found Gemini practically kissing Johanna's tail, and her brother with the female Dalmatian's toes in his mouth while she hugged her brother's leg.

"The beds we have now are cozy for two, and uncomfortable for three if we don't push them together," Johanna continued, "Four would only be manageable if we kept the mattresses in the living room every weekend. It's just not feasible. Sleeping arrangements aside, I am increasingly uncomfortable with the thought of you two living in a camper in that particular area you're in, dog or no. Also--"

"Cut to the chase, sweetcakes," Ares cut in with a slight growl, getting either bored or impatient, "What are you trying to convince us to do?"

Johanna tilted her head, looking at him. "Is that my new pet-name?"

The Doberman shrugged. "If you like it."

She nodded, then tapped her phone a couple more times. Each of their respective phones chimed as it received a link to a real-estate listing. "I am proposing this. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a dining and bonus room. It's a finished attic, actually, but spacious enough for a king-size bed and then some. The bedrooms give us each an office: mine for my work, yours for your streaming. And we could still fit a bed in one or more of them for times we'd like a little more space or privacy."

"Wait...wait, are you saying we'll be living together?" Gemini bounced excitedly, "All of us?!"

"Wuff that," Ares blinked, having immediately gone to the asking price for the property, "Are you saying you can afford this?! Just how much do you make, really?"

"Enough to float this...barely," Johanna nodded, "And yes, I am proposing that we all move in together. There are drawbacks, of course. The mortgage and bills will push the boundaries of my budget. I couldn't afford to fund our dates or spontaneous clothes-shopping anymore. It's a wooded lot well away from the trolly lines, so gas becomes a new expense for us. If any unexpected expenses arise...I will almost certainly need help paying them." She let that thought settle on them for a moment. Dane and Gemini, in particular, had gotten fairly used to relying on her for their outings, and she did not begrudge them that...but it would have to stop. Or...

"I've begun getting donations on my weekend streams with Ares," Dane noted, "Not much, but enough to cover some dinners and extras . Are you saying you could still afford groceries on the regular?"

"For four, yes. Again, barely. We'll have to cook more and take-out less, but I think we'll manage. I'm not going to ask for your numbers, Ares...only whether you are willing to commit some of your earnings to the household," Johanna looked at the Doberman, the only one of the group besides her who made what might be called "serious" earnings, and knew how far they stretched to cover bills and the like.

"Wuff," he sighed, "If you're serious...mortgage, water, electricity, food..."

"Internet, phones, and a couple of service subscriptions too," she promised, "I wouldn't put this forward if we'd be counting pennies for daily comforts. My savings won't build as quickly as they do now, so things like this cabin rental won't happen often. To whit: if anyone wants anything that is not what we purchase on a weekly basis out of necessity, someone besides me has to foot that bill."

"What I bring in would stretch a lot further in that direction than toward rent and groceries," Ares admitted, "But that's a lot to put on someone you just started dating yesterday." Johanna blinked at him, realizing he was looking at her rather than the listing now. "That's a lot for a couple that's been dating for a year, even. It's the sort of move you make when you marry, or hope to. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

The female Dalmatian tilted her head, as if she had not thought of it in that context, but nodded. "I'm very non-traditional--"

"Understatement of the year," Ares muttered.

"--so I'm pretty comfortable with the idea of living with my boyfriend, or my brother, or my brother's girlfriend," she continued, "Whether any of them marry or not, so long as the finances are adequate. My first requirement was a space big enough for a king bed. The offices came next, and I hardly had a criteria after that. I've looked for something smaller, to allow more leeway in the budget, but this is all that's available right now."

Gemini's tail was threatening to light itself on fire, wagging across the cloth of the couch so fast. "I'll help, too! I can get work, no problem!"

Johanna blinked. "I kind of figured you'd be more the house-wife type," the Dalmatian admitted, and was answered by a smug look from Gemini.

"House-wives have kids," the Doberman declared, "Talk to me again when I'm pregnant." She then gave a sly wink to Dane...who suddenly felt the temperature of the room go up several degrees. "But until then...well, let's just say there are perks to having dated nearly every boy my age in town. I've got connections all over the place. I'll find something. I always knew I couldn't be arm-candy forever," she added with a giggle.

Johanna looked around the table. Everyone seemed to be considering what they would bring to this, or nodding over the decisions they'd already made. It was touching, to her, and made her smile sincerely. "Alright. I think our business is settled, then," she announced happily, touching a little blue button at the bottom of the listing, then flipping over to another app and tapping a similar button there, before flipping to her email and pressing "send" on a letter she already had sitting in her draft folder, "The keys should arrive by next week. There's enough room in the back yard to park your camper, so bring it with you if you like it at all. I'll handle selling your lot if you don't want the hassle. Dane and I will start packing the apartment on Monday."

"Just...just like that?!" Ares almost shouted, "You just made the purchase?"

His girlfriend gave him a blank stare, as if trying to figure out what else he might have expected. "I got a loan pre-approved weeks ago, and had the property inspected earlier this week. The agent and the bank were just waiting for my confirmation. Should I not have?"

"Sis...you are terrifying sometimes," Dane shook his head. Like Ares, the speed at which she could change the trajectory of their lives seemed a little surreal to him. "I do have one major concern, though," he added, and all eyes zeroed in on him, "You, in the morning, managing two flights of stairs."

Johanna blinked...then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "A single-serving dispenser in the bedroom wouldn't be too much, I suppose..."

Everyone laughed. "Ooo, I am so excited!" Gemini was practically quivering, and decided to channel her energy into bouncing off to the kitchen to make them all some lunch, so they could spend the afternoon celebrating!

"...You know," Ares remarked quietly to Dane an hour later, "If she were anybody else, I'd be tempted to call her rude, or at least addicted."

They were out on another walk, all four of them this time. Gemi's boundless energy and bouncy nature easily kept her a little ahead of the group, and she'd taken to dragging Johanna along with her, pointing out everything she thought was pretty or cute while the Dalmatian took photos on her phone...which she then used to identify the subject in question, and usually remark on some fact or trivia pulled up in the search results. The boys were taking a more leisurely pace a few yards back, with their little "just-in-case" bag slung lightly over Ares' shoulder.

Dane chuckled. "Yeah, she'd probably use it during sex if I let her. It might even be good, knowing her. But even I draw the line on some things, and that's definitely one of them."

Ares laughed. "I'll bet! So on that subject...are we cool, you and me?"

The Dalmatian quirked a brow. "Sorry, I didn't follow that leap. What would we not be cool about? Sister swapping?"

The Doberman shook his head. "You. And me. In bed. You made a polite excuse to stay well away yesterday, you were definitely uncomfortable with me calling you 'boyfriend', and don't think I didn't notice you kept at least a girl between us when we were bedding down last night, if not two. I appreciate it, by the way. But from the sound of things, we're going to be under the same blankets a lot about a week from now, and I want to know where your lines are on this."

"Yeeaah...you got me," Dane admitted with a nod and an apologetic smile, "I'm not at all into guys, actually. Your fur's not as soft, much less your skin, your face isn't as pretty, and you don't smell a tenth as nice...no offense to present company."

"None taken," Ares assured him, "And I agree on about 90% of that."

The smaller male quirked a brow. "Which 10% do you take different?"

"You've got a real pretty mouth," the Doberman growled, leaning close with a sly, toothy grin. Dane blinked...and then they both laughed. "You took it pretty well when I went down on you, though."

"Yeah, well, it's easier to receive than to give in this case. My stomach turns just a little at the thought of letting your bone anywhere near my lips, and I am not looking forward to seeing your tail-hole. I'm still not entirely comfortable doing Johanna's, to tell the truth," he cringed, half afraid he was insulting all of his lovers, but thinking honesty was important here. Then he sighed, and cast a wistful glance at the girls still meandering along ahead of them, Gemini trying hard to get a particular butterfly to land on her hand. "But, you know, Johanna's not actually into girls, either. She indulges Gemi because it makes my girlfriend happy, and she figures a happy girlfriend makes a happy boyfriend. Not wrong, by the way, and at least they're friends in their own sense completely apart from me. So the way I see it: if she can be a little bi for my sake, I could be a little bi for hers...if that makes sense."

"More than you'd think," Ares nodded, "It's Gemini I worry about, actually. That little pansexual nymphomaniac cannot imagine anyone finding any kind of sex not-fun, and if we both make it through this weekend with our tail-cherries intact she'll be moaning about it in her sleep, I don't doubt. I'm not going to push you to do anything...I prefer it the other way around, actually," the Doberman added under his breath, "I just want to know you're not going to turn bitter over it. If you aren't comfortable, I can help push back on her, if you need me to."

"Oh, you had better," Gemini interjected in a sultry tone, causing both boys to stop short and blink in surprise. They'd been watching each other and the trail, as it got kind of rough and rooty around this part, rather than the girls, so they didn't notice when the girls stopped to wait for them until they'd caught up.

Their nervous expressions made the female Doberman giggle, and kiss each of them on the cheek. "You guys are too sweet," she remarked vaguely, then went skipping off down the trail again.

"Uh...how much did you hear?" Dane asked hesitantly of Johanna.

His sister shrugged, as if it didn't matter, working both thumbs on her phone as she typed in another search. "We already know," she answered the question he wasn't asking, "And we appreciate it. We'll make sure you have fun," she promised, also vaguely, and resumed walking rather more cautiously than Gemi.

"...We're screwed," both males sighed at about the same time, giving each other a sheepish smile.